Arctic Protector — Origin

Polar bear on sea ice, Svalbard, Norway. Photograph by Ishan Patel.

Arctic Protector

The polar bear behind the artwork.

Svalbard, Norway · June 2024

The encounter

An encounter in Svalbard.

Polar bear walking on sea ice, Svalbard, Norway. Photograph by Ishan Patel.

Arctic Protector began with a polar bear on the sea ice near Svalbard. Photographed by Ishan Patel in June 2024, this encounter became the starting point for the design.

We watched from the ship as the bear walked across the sea ice, searching for food. It seemed curious about us and came towards the water. Ishan and I were watching together as it turned to look straight at us.

Mital Patel

From Lens to Line.

The bear’s inquisitive expression drew us to this photograph. The head-on view became the foundation of the geometric design, with the face as its focus. Preserving that direct gaze was central to carrying the character of the encounter into the artwork.

Photograph
Polar bear, Svalbard. Photograph by Ishan Patel.
Artwork
Arctic Protector geometric design by Tembo Collection

This is the artwork on your piece. It began with this encounter, and now you know its origin.

Arctic Protector corduroy cap with geometric polar bear patch, Tembo Collection
The geometric artwork on the Arctic Protector piece.
Polar bear on sea ice with Svalbard mountains, Norway. Photograph by Ishan Patel.

Protecting the wild.

The connection to wildlife continues through Arctic Protector’s support for WildAid.

Tembo contributes 30% of profits from this piece directly to WildAid, supporting its conservation work.

Explore WildAid’s work ↗

Welcome to the Tembo Tribe.

Thank you for discovering the story behind Arctic Protector. The piece you carry connects you to this encounter, to the art it inspired, and to the work of WildAid.

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